If you want to lose weight, you’ll have to put in some work and exercise and make a conscious effort to eat right to shed those unwanted pounds. But in the end, your mental state will determine if you indeed fail or succeed. If your head isn’t in it, you won’t see the scale move in the right direction, but if you’re determined and positive about getting results, you’ll soon notice that your clothes will start to fit looser!Your attitude can mean the difference between a diet failure or a success story. If you’re ready to get in the right mindset to finally lose weight, here are a few ways to prep your mind for success:

What is your motivation

Before you go out and do any exercises or plan your diet, you first need to define your motivation for everything. You need a figure out what your why is. Figure out why you want to get thinner. Maybe it’s because of health issues or a big trip coming up that you want to look good for. Having that why will keep you motivated and your head strong for long-term results. It’ll also help you when you feel as if you want to quit or eat something you shouldn’t. Your why will help you create a totally new lifestyle change so that you reach your goals. They why will help you emotionally prepare for the challenge ahead of you. List two to three compelling reasons as motivation and nix any that have to deal with other people’s expectations or that provide some sort of obligation instead of desire, which will want to make you rebel later on.

Have an attainable goal

Be realistic with your goal so that you don’t set yourself up for failure even before you start. Think of small goals and then once you reach them, continue to make more small goals until you reach that one big goal you initially wanted to achieve when you first started out. And don’t get trapped by numbers; non-scale victories count, too, like having looser pants or giving up soda for a month.

Create a plan

Don’t follow any new diet fads, but instead create your own plan that fits well with your lifestyle. To lose 15 pounds in a year, you just need to cut out 150 calories, so small changes in your eating habits can go a long way. But make sure that plan still has things you like to do or eat because if not, your willpower won’t stand a chance.

See the new you

Visualization is a powerful thing, so mentally seeing the new you when you’ve reached your goal can really motivate you to work hard and stick to your plan. Don’t just visualize, either, but feel happier, slimmer and anything else you think you’ll experience when you reach your goal.

Have priorities each day

For greater success, set your goals for the day and get your priorities straight. Planning ahead for any obstacles during your day, week or month will help you when you want to cheat or not visit the gym. But don’t overdo it and always plan on some relaxation time so that you can take some time to yourself to unwind. It’s recommended to keep a food and exercise diary so that you can keep track of your progress and goals and see where you need to make changes or adjustments if needed.

Figure out any emotional obstacles

Find out if you have any emotional obstacles that might sabotage your progress. People tend to overeat because of sadness or anger, even thought food doesn’t really help the situation. A diary can help you track where you binge or what foods you tend to eat when you’re emotional. And once you figure out your eating triggers, you can create strategies to deal with these underlying emotions.

Celebrate victories and achievements

Always celebrate yourself for reaching your goals, no matter how small it is. Even if it’s continuously going to the gym for a month or eating and tracking your food for two weeks, rewards reinforce more positive behavior.

Always forgive yourself

Sometimes you might cheat on a meal or not make it to the gym, so when you do, always forgive yourself. Don’t fall down the rabbit hole of judgemental thoughts. Beating yourself up for a small mishap isn’t going to do anything and will just set you back from moving forward. Turn negative thoughts into encouraging and positive ones that will help you continue on your path to a healthy, new you!